Medicine is designed for righthanded people

The surgeon glared at me. When I asked what I’d done wrong they replied that they found it “scary” that I’d used the “wrong” hand to cut sutures when assisting in theatre. What’s scary to me is how easily the challenges faced by lefthanded trainees are dismissed—an experience I’ve had not only in surgery but across all medical specialties. Medicine needs to move away from the idea of “right” and “wrong” hands, so that lefthanded students learning examination and surgical skills are properly supported in caring for patients.Left in a right worldFrom the beginning of my first year of medical school I noticed that the whole clinical environment was designed for righthanded use. Tradition dictates that you should stand on the right side of a patient when examining them, making it difficult—if not impossible—to use your left hand to do so. Moreover, the equipment used in clinical skills sessions and…
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